Learning from the Past: ARCHIVES and the Development of Housing Projects at the Lisbon School of Architecture

Abstract

The ARCHIVES – Archives of Architecture, Urbanism, and Design of the Lisbon School of Architecture, Universidade de Lisboa (FA-ULisboa) have existed since 2021, with the mission of preserving, organizing, studying, and disseminating documentary heritage related to Architecture, Urbanism, and Design, with a particular focus on the Portuguese context. Through modern archival practices, the ARCHIVES ensure the accessibility, conservation, and integration of this heritage into teaching, research, and outreach activities. The ARCHIVES are composed of collections and funds of patrimonial, historical, artistic, and documentary value, including: academic records and documents from alumni of the Faculty; materials from architectural studios, received through donation or on loan; and documentation from exhibitions. Currently, the ARCHIVES hold over sixty collections and estates from architects and designers, mostly alumni of FA-ULisboa, who developed their professional practice throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries. This article focuses on the use of resources available in the ARCHIVES as a foundation for the development of architectural design projects within the context of FA-ULisboa, particularly in the design studio courses of the 3rd and 4th years of the Integrated Master’s in Architecture. In these academic years, the theme of housing architecture is central – first through an understanding of typological-morphological dimensions, the relationship between modes of living and dwelling models, and the proper integration between residential architecture and the urban context. Then, through the development of project proposals that should be historically, culturally, and disciplinarily informed and substantiated; and, should seek innovative solutions that respond to the needs, aspirations, and desires of contemporary housing, within the current social, cultural, and economic context. The ARCHIVES – and particularly the numerous highly relevant case studies that can be found within them (it is worth noting that the collections include works by some of Lisbon’s most notable 20th-century architects) – represent a wealth of information that should be explored by students in their quest for a deep understanding of residential architecture and in the subsequent development of innovative projects for the present and the future.